Dead Serious
by oOStarving ArtisOo
Summary: Sookie and Eric finally have their long-awaited conversation and a mystery breaks out. Rated T for now but likely M for later chapters if I can will myself. Follows Dead and Gone, SPOILERS FOR ALL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVELS! All cannon, No OOC business.
1. Bar Fights to Love Bites

My life isn't exactly glamorous. I work as a barmaid at Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Of course, my boss is a shape- shifter, I'm sort of married to a vampire and I just happen to be a telepath. It's not at all glamorous, but it is very interesting. It's interesting to everyone but me, of course.

Since the vampires came out of the coffin, nearly seven years ago, life hasn't been dull for Miss Sookie Stackhouse. Now the were's and shifter's had made themselves known to the world and life had gotten more complicated for me. Not only was I known to be a bit off due to my completely unwanted "gift" of telepathy, but I was also a known friend (sometimes more than a friend) of vampires and I worked for a shifter. Somebody may as well have taped a target to my back for all the bigots and nuts of the world. As if that wasn't complicated enough, I'd recently found out that I was part fairy. Who'd have thought?

Tonight started off rather tamely so it was no surprise that trouble walked in around three hours into my shift. Some Fellowship of the Sun jerks strolled into Merlotte's.

The FotS had started out as a church that preached hatred toward vampires but since the second Great Revelation, the were's and shifter's revealing themselves, they'd branched out to preaching against all supernatural creatures. Of course the two men, both sporting FotS T-shirts, sat in my section.

Sam, my boss and a rare pureblood shifter, looked up at me and sighed in annoyance. This wasn't likely to end well and we both knew it. I put on my best tip-rendering smile and asked the two men what they'd like to drink. The man to my left was semi-attractive with broad shoulders and a baby face. His partner was the opposite, his sallow skin reminded me of parchment and his nose was hooked in an unpleasant fashion. They both ordered shots of whiskey which was pretty unoriginal.

I took a peek into their minds while I waited for Terry Bellefluer, our sometimes bartender, to put up the shots. Sam and I had a silent agreement that I'd look out for trouble when suspicious folks, especially members of the Fellowship, came into the bar. The attractive fellow was a clear and loud broadcaster.

"_I wonder why Lee brought me here. This place is pretty far into the middle of nowhere. The menu isn't offering too much, we should've gone to Denny's in Shreveport like I'd suggested. Waitress is kind of cute though, maybe she'll give me her number if I tip her well…"_

Well he could tip all he liked but there wasn't a chance in hell he was getting my number. His friend, Lee, was a little harder to read. There was a lot going on inside his head. Though he looked calm on the outside there was chaos in his mind. Anger and disgust seemed to flow out of him like nothing I'd ever seen before. I caught one clear sentence, _"She's the fang-banger and he's the shifter…"_

That was enough for me. I nodded to Sam. He was around the bar and by my side in an instant.

"What'd you get off of them? They looking for trouble?"

I grimaced. "The one on the left hasn't got a clue why he's here but the other one, the creepy looking one, he's up to something. He knows who we are."

Sam looked up at Terry and the two of them nodded to each other and walked over to the table. That was another silent agreement in Merlotte's. If someone needed to be thrown out the men would handle it. Sam, while not too imposing, struck a chord because most people knew he was a shifter. Terry Bellefluer was strong and burly and didn't much like confrontation but he made a good deterrent for anyone looking to cause us trouble.

We'd had a bit of trouble, not too often though, since word got out that Merlotte's was a shifter owned bar. It was mostly curous folks who'd come to see if they'd catch a glimpse of Sam in his animal form. But every so often someone would get too drunk or too stupid and start running off at the mouth about their views on sup's, the common term for supernatural creatures. Only once had it actually come to blows. A man from Monroe who'd had more than his share of beer had hauled off and punched Sam in the nose when he'd refused to shift to entertain the man's date. Aside from the few bad instances, Sam's second nature had been relatively good for business.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Sam said politely when he approached the table. Terry stood beside him with that stern expression he took on when he smelled trouble.

The sallow skinned man made a gesture of contempt while the other man looked taken aback. "Have we done something?" the clueless one asked.

"No, but I own this bar…" Sam started to say before the other man, Lee, interrupted him by jumping to his feet and sending his chair skidding into Bud Dearborn's table. Bud, the sheriff of Bon Temps, stood in anticipation. He was hoping he could finish his dinner without having to arrest anyone.

"You think you're too good to serve us, shifter?" Lee shouted. Understanding dawned in the eyes of Lee's companion who was now getting to his feet.

The other patrons had taken notice now. Some of them had stopped mid-chew to look on as the spectacle unfolded. Some of them were hoping for a fight and others were frightened of the same prospect.

"Get the hell out of here, you're kind isn't wanted!" I heard my brother Jason yell from the other side of the bar.

Lee turned to look at him and an odd silence sort of came over the whole bar. "Oh look at this, Jason Stackhouse, sticking up for his whore of a sister!" he said as he pointed in Jason's direction. His face was contorted with disgust as he looked from my brother to me.

Jason was on his feet, Sam was lunging toward the man and Terry seemed to have been pushed over the edge. I gasped. Who in the world was this man and how in tarnation did he know that Jason was kin to me?

The fight didn't last long. Sam had managed to land a punch to Lee's hooked nose before Sherriff Dearborn was able to make it around the table. He slapped his handcuffs on Lee, who looked surprised by the turn of events. He was being charged with disturbing the peace and trespassing, the sheriff read him his rights before he'd even been able to recover from the jab. Terry finally let go of Jason, who was snarling with rage, when Bud escorted both men out of the bar.

The bar was buzzing with recounts of the fight and loud whoops at Sam for his well-aimed fist long after the FotS members were gone. I'd gotten back to work immediately but my mind was still working over the mystery of how Lee knew anything at all about me and Jason. I wondered why he'd come here if it wasn't just to start trouble. What was he planning to do? Was he doing recon for the FotS? I was sure that weren't too pleased with me since I'd had a run in with their Dallas organization a couple of years ago. Still, if that was the cause they'd certainly taken their sweet time in coming for revenge.

About twenty minutes before last call, when the bar was almost empty and I was cleaning tables to keep myself busy, another form of trouble walked into Merlotte's. I felt him coming like a cool breeze on a hot day. My stomach clenched and a feeling of elation came over me. I suddenly knew that even if the whole of the FotS organization came waltzing in with torches and pitchforks I'd be perfectly fine. When Eric Northman walked into the bar I felt completely safe.

Eric, the vampire sheriff of Area Five and my sort-of husband, was looking as gorgeous as he always did. Six feet and five inches of muscle with a blond mane and a butt to die for was enough to catch the eye of every woman in the bar. Jane Bodehouse, our resident drunk, even made a keening sound in her throat when he walked in. He was wearing jeans that were a little too tight and a T-Shirt with Fangtasia, the name of the bar he owned in Shreveport, embroidered over the breast.

Sam caught my eye and looked none to pleased at the expression of joy on my face. Sam knew about the blood-bond that caused my reaction to Eric and it he was plain about disliking it. Eric and I had shared blood on more than three occasions and the repercussions of that were currently washing over me. We were tied-together, so to speak, and both felt comforted and at ease in the other's presence. There was more to the long-history between Eric and I, like the fact that I'd unknowingly married myself to him not long ago. At least, I thought that's what I'd done but I still wasn't too sure on the matter and Eric hadn't been very forthcoming with details on the subject.

At the time it had been a necessary step to ensure my safety, or so I'd been told. With Eric it was hard to tell if you were being worked over. He always seemed to have a plot being masterminded somewhere in that beautiful head of his. I hadn't seen him in almost a month and the sight of him alone put all the questions out of my mind completely.

"A bottle of O-negative?" I asked as I approached the table he'd sat at. He smiled up at me and nodded.

Sam gave me a pained expression as I popped the bottle of Trueblood into the microwave.

"Don't you think we've had enough trouble tonight?" he asked under his breath. I didn't think he wanted an answer so I ignored him while I waited for the microwave to beep.

Eric smiled up at me when I placed the drink on a napkin in front of him. He took a sip and motioned for me to sit with him. Seeing as how Jane Bodehouse was the only one in the bar and I'd managed to clear most of my tables and refill the saltshakers, I figured Sam wouldn't have too much of a problem with me taking a short break. Of course, he certainly had a problem with my company but he could just go ahead and get over himself. No one, and certainly not Sam Merlotte, decided what company Miss Sookie Stackhouse could keep.

"The shifter seems to be rather upset about my appearance," Eric said with an impish grin that he managed to make sexy. "How have you been, my lover?"

I rolled my eyes. Though I loved it when he called me that, I wasn't going to let him on that little secret. Eric had enough power over me already and he knew it all too well. I couldn't let him think I'd been dying to see him and that I'd thought about calling Fangtasia at least a dozen times since I'd last seen him, just to hear his voice.

"I've been fine. Just working and keeping to myself mostly. It's been an uneventful summer and seeing as how you've come in, I doubt it'll be uneventful for long." I sighed heavily but he saw through my façade and grinned.

"I love it when you pretend that you're not seething with joy at the sight of me," he chided. I rolled my eyes again before I could help myself. "I have come tonight because we have unfinished business. Now that the restructuring has settled I have some leisure time."

Restructuring sure was a nice way to describe what had been an obvious coup. The vampire king of Nevada, Felipe De Castro, had seen an opportunity in Louisiana when its queen, Sophie-Anne, had been near to final death. He'd staged a take-over and had killed every sheriff with the exception of the one sitting in front of me. Eric's cleverness, or ruthlessness, had saved him. He'd been brought into the fold of the Nevada vamps but had been under strict guard since the time of the takeover. It seemed that he'd finally been given a smidge of trust if he was able to leave Shreveport without anyone from the Nevada contingency on his tail.

He sipped his Trueblood and eyed me longingly. I had a good idea about what Eric would like to do with his leisure time and it didn't involve our unfinished business. Though my body was more than willing to get right up close and personal with Eric Northman my mind was cringing at the thought of discussing our "unfinished business." I had a lot of questions but I wasn't sure I wanted to have that long talk just now and I certainly didn't want to have it in Merlotte's with Sam eyeing me from behind the bar.

"Can it wait, Eric?" I asked. "It's been a long night and I'm tired." I put on my best drowsy look. I wasn't lying, I was tired and it had certainly been a long night. No matter how much I wanted Eric to come home with me and snuggle up close to me in my bed, I was willing to do almost anything to avoid the talk.

I wasn't sure what I feared but I knew it was anguish to even think about discussing with Eric the ins and outs of our "relationship". I wasn't even sure what to call what we had. Maybe I feared what he'd say or what I'd come to realize through the conversation. Maybe it was the fact that saying certain things out loud made them more real than when you're just thinking them in your head. I was sure our little heart-to-heart wouldn't be very sappy considering my company but I was willing to bet we'd venture into territory that I wasn't comfortable with. Any talk of that nature would involve the divulging of feelings and emotions that were otherwise left to their own devices. I didn't like the idea at all.

He felt my fear through the blood-bond. I saw it in his face when his brows came together to form a line of confusion. I silently cursed the damn bond. I suddenly knew how annoying it was to have other people feel your emotions and thoughts. I was usually on the other side of that fence.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked me with a bit of concern in his voice.

I sighed heavily in resignation. I wasn't going to get out of this and I might as well just get it over and done with. "I'll be off soon, let me get my stuff together and cash out. I'll be home in thirty minutes or so." He nodded.

With that I got up from the table and went about my closing procedures. Eric finished his Trueblood and left me a fifty dollar tip before he strolled out. Sam gave me a sharp look when I went into his office to retrieve my purse from his desk drawer.

"Be careful," he said without looking up from his papers. He hated doing the books and I had a feeling that he was taking his anger out there rather than lashing out at me. I was thankful for that much. I didn't think I could handle two irritating conversations tonight.

"I always am," I said as I left the bar.

The drive home was uneventful until I turned onto Hummingbird Road and neared my house. The effect of the blood-bond hit me for a second time tonight. I had been over-joyed at the thought of Eric being at my house before the bond took hold. The closer I got to him the more I felt it latch onto me. I was determined to ignore it as much as I could but it was near impossible to resist its pull when Eric was in close proximity to me.

The bond itself had been one source of my fear. I couldn't tell if my feelings for Eric were a real part of my own emotions or if they were a side-effect of the blood-bond we shared. I could never be certain that I truly felt anything when I was around him because the bond had such hold over my emotions. I knew that during the past month I had missed him intensely and I'd told myself that it was the bond's fault though I hadn't been truly convinced. I just wasn't sure where I stood and it was irritating and scary to be lost somewhere in the middle.

I would remember fondly the time when Eric had stayed with me while he was cursed with amnesia. He'd been a different person then and I'd thought that maybe it was that Eric that I loved and I was just hoping to see that Eric in this version of my vampire. It added to my confusion. I know, pretty deep thinking for a simple barmaid.

He was leaning against his red corvette when I pulled into the driveway. He threw his arm around my shoulders as we silently walked up to the back porch of my old house. The contact made my stomach tie up in knots and brought an embarrassing blush to my cheeks. I was about to give thanks to the darkness around us before I remembered that Eric could see perfectly, even under the cover of night. He, thankfully, didn't turn to look at me so my blush had gone unnoticed.

I flipped on the light-switch in the kitchen and pulled the tie out of my hair. Though I knew I was on edge about the coming conversation, I felt completely relaxed with Eric sitting quietly at my kitchen table. I went over to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of Trueblood for my guest. I was thankful I'd still had some on hand. I hadn't had many vampire visitors lately.

My roommate, Amelia, had stopped me from throwing them out. She was in New Orleans for the week with her mentor, Octavia, as part of her witch training. I was grateful that Eric had shown up while I had the house to myself. I didn't want anyone else hearing what either of us might say, I wasn't even sure I wanted to hear it myself.

He thanked me for the blood when I delivered it and sat down across from him. He looked at ease sitting there. I thought how funny it was that once again I had a thousand year old Viking sitting at the table my Grandmother had served supper on. My life had been odd, verging on insane, for quite a while now and I couldn't help but think that it was just about to topple over the edge once again.

"I apologize for not keeping in touch," he commented. Eric leaned over the table to look into my eyes. It wasn't as unnerving as I might have thought, in fact; I had the urge to smile. "I know that I should have come by but I have barely had a moment alone since we last saw each other."

"You could have called," I said lamely before I could stop myself. I had been trying to act casual and completely cool with the fact that we hadn't been in contact for a month. What was the use in acting, anyway? I wasn't any good at it.

He smiled roguishly. "Yes, I have heard tell that women quite like their men to call them frequently these days. You'll have to excuse my ignorance. I've been without long-term female companionship for some time. I'm woefully unaware of what's expected of me."

Well, that threw me for a loop.

"Pam told me, more than once, that I should make time to call you or come by your home but the King had his cronies in my shadow and I didn't like the idea of them getting any more information than they already had in regards to our arrangement." He finished his bottle of Trueblood and got up to wash it out and toss it into the garbage can.

I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. I steeled myself mentally. This was the start of the conversation that I'd been avoiding for months and there was no way out of it now. "And what arrangement is that, exactly?" I asked.

He came toward me with a broad smile on his face. He took my hands and pulled me to my feet, pressing his lean body against mine. My body reacted immediately and I had to resist the urge to melt into his embrace.

"You are mine, of course," He whispered in my ear.

My back straightened. I knew where this was heading and I'd already put up the effort to get this talk done and over with. I wasn't about to fall into bed with him and have to wind myself up all over again for the inevitable conversation. "What exactly does that entail, Eric?" I asked as icily as I could with his arms wrapped around me.

He let go then and sat back down in his chair. "You're right, we need to clear this up," He grinned again. "Then I can take what's mine."

I had a hard time restraining myself from rolling my eyes at him. He had gall; that was for certain.

"In the eyes of the Vampires we are promised to one another, that's the significance of the knife. Victor Madden informed you of that," he said in a businesslike fashion. I nodded in agreement. "It means that no one else can touch you, drink from you or be in your presence without my express permission. No one, not even the King, can lay claim on you. Of course, it only applies to vampires."

I had worked that much out for myself. Though I wasn't exactly pleased about the terms, I understood. It was for my own protection. Still, it was rather medieval to lay claim on a woman like that but the vampires were stuck in their traditions and it'd do no good to argue.

He looked at me long enough to be sure that I was following him before he continued. "In your terms, we are affianced. Engaged to be married is as good as being married in vampire terms..."

This wasn't news to me either. I had had plenty of time to work out the mechanics of the agreement. Still, I was happy to stay on the technical side of the fence rather than getting into the emotional realm. I wasn't lucky for long.

"I remember, now, every minute of my time here when I was cursed." I looked up then and saw a pained expression on his face. "I do not like having feelings," he stated plainly. I steeled myself for the worst. "They make me feel vulnerable and that isn't a state of mind I particularly enjoy." I could hear the frustration in his voice but couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes. "Still, I cannot avoid what I felt then and what I feel now." He stopped for a moment, as though he was trying to find the right words for what to say next. "My feelings for you make you a liability," he started. He stopped for a few more seconds that felt like an eternity to me. I was cringing inwardly, afraid of what he might say. "But I find that it's a liability I am more than happy to accept."

I looked up then and saw the truth of his words clearly written across his ancient and gorgeous face. My vampire was on the verge of spilling his guts and he looked just as vulnerable as he felt. I ached with the frustration he was feeling, it seeped through the bond and oozed right over me. He had dropped all pretenses and was willing himself to continue.

"I..I just don't know, Eric," I stammered out the sentence. I felt the wave of rejection wash over me through our bond as it washed over him. "I don't know what's real and what is coming from the blood-bond. I don't know if I have feelings for the man you were when you were with me or the man you are right now. I just don't know which way is up, anymore. I'm not sure if what you feel is real or part of the bond either. I don't know myself when you're here. How can you be certain that it's real?"

He looked at me with sad eyes. He was acting very calm but I could feel the chaos in him.

"I don't mean to hurt you. It hurts me too," I said.

"Is it your own pain that you're regretful of or is it mine?"

I stared at him, trying to work out what he meant. He clarified, sounding a little annoyed at my simpleton behavior.

"Are you hurting because you yourself feel pain or are you hurting because I feel pain?"

"Both," I answered immediately.

He stood then and took me into his arms once more. This time I couldn't resist the urge to melt into his grasp. The feeling of security and comfort washed away the uncertainty that had just collapsed on top of me. He kissed the top of my head very gently and I smiled. It was something that he'd done before he regained his memory. It was an act of tenderness rarely given by Eric Northman. I was thankful for it.

"I am not one to pour my heart out, Sookie. You have brought me into long forgotten places and I am unsure of how to tell you the things that I feel." He stroked my hair while he spoke to me, easing away the tension I'd stored up.

My hand stroked his back gently and I leaned further into his embrace. "Just say it the way you feel it," I whispered.

"I feel as though something is missing when I am away from you," he began. Each word was pronounced exactly and I heard the faint accent that Eric took on when he was being sincere. "I dream of you when I sleep and I am bothered by the fact that you're not there when I wake. Whenever I close my eyes I see your face. When I am with you I feel as though the world is complete. I find it hard not to hold you in my arms when I am near you. If my heart could beat, my lover, it would beat for you."

Well, that had done it. If he'd been hoping to get into my bed tonight he'd just secured his place there. It wasn't the words, though I wasn't sure any woman could resist such sweet talk, it was the sincerity behind them. I knew he meant every word because I could feel it through the bond. The sweetness of it was over powering.

"It's not just the bond, lover," he whispered. "I know you feel it too."

"Take what is yours," I whispered back.

He didn't need telling twice. He swung my legs out from under me and held me to him. His blue eyes gazed into mine and I was rewarded with a sweltering kiss. He kissed me for all he was worth then and there in my Grandmother's kitchen.

He carried me back to my bedroom and took his time with me. We made love tenderly, without the lustful urgency of our previous nights together. He moved slowly, looking into my eyes the whole time and reminding me to look at him. He wanted me to know who was giving me such pleasure and he wanted me to see the pleasure on his face. I was so overcome with emotion my eyes filled with tears when I finished. He whispered something in a long dead language before he finished himself.

I lay on my back, covers tucked under my arms, completely sated. I would be happy to bask in the after-glow of amazing sex for the rest of my life. Eric was lying on his side with an arm and leg wrapped around me. He was silently running his fingers through my hair.

When he raised himself up and propped his head on his hand I turned to snuggle in closer to him. He welcomed me and kissed my cheek, causing me to smile. "What did you say?" I asked in a whisper. "When you finished, I mean, you said something in another language."

He hooked a finger under my chin and lifted my face up so that he could look into my eyes. I smiled back at him. "It's hard to say," he said. "People say all manner of things when they're in the clutches of passion." He stroked my cheek with such tenderness that I shivered. "My native language is Norse but I rarely utter it these days. Perhaps it comes out naturally when my mind is otherwise occupied."

"It sounds nice, I think." I told him.

He smiled at me and gave a little laugh. "Norse has been called many things but I've never heard it described as nice."

"Say something in Norse," I urged him. I pulled my head up and mirrored his position, propping myself up on my arm. I was plainly showing my interest.

"Minn elska, yðvarr minn þurfa," he said. I smiled back at him, not a clue what he was saying, and he laid another kiss on my cheek.

I grinned with delight. "What'd you say, then?"

He spoke as he trailed kisses down my body. "I said," he kissed my neck then my collarbone. "That," he said as his lips found my chest and then the top of my stomach. "You are my sunshine." I smiled and let him have his way with me again.

When I woke up the next morning my bed was empty but I was sated and blissful.


	2. To Stay Sane

**Dead Serious**

**Chapter 2**

Since I didn't have to be back at Merlotte's until the afternoon shift and my roommate was out of town I took the opportunity to spend a good deal of the morning strolling about in my bathrobe and comfortable slippers. I had woken up feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning and I was bound and determined to enjoy it.

The talk with Eric and its eventual conclusion had been a large weight lifted off my shoulders. I hadn't realized how much tension I was carrying around while I'd waited and wondered. Now that I knew where I stood, and more importantly, where he stood; it was like life was suddenly right again. The world had turned itself right side up and I was smiling again. My Gran used to say, "The universe has a way of working itself out in the end," and I was starting to agree with her. Everything seemed great until a cold bucket of reality, in the form of Jason Stackhouse, pulled up the driveway.

I was sitting on the porch, bathroom and all, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a novel in the other when I heard the crunch of gravel on the road. I looked up to see my brother's pickup trundling down the drive.

"Good morning!" I called out to him when hopped out of the truck and made his way toward the porch.

"What the hell are you doing out here in your nightgown when we got crazies running around town?" He asked angrily.

By the time I was able to stand up he was on the front porch ushering me into the house. I turned around as he locked the front door, something I never did during the day hours. "What on earth has gotten into you, Jason?"

"Haven't you seen the paper, Sook?" He tossed the _Bon Temps Times_ down on the kitchen table. The headline was unmistakable.

**MAN ESCAPES FROM CITY JAIL IN BON TEMPS**

_A man identified as Lee Taverty, of Dallas Texas, was arrested last night at Merlotte's bar for trespassing and disturbing the peace. Sheriff Bud Dearborn stated that the suspect had acted violently toward the staff there and had to be subdued by force. Taverty had entered the bar with a friend who still remains unidentified. Sheriff Dearborn claims that the friend had not acted inappropriately or broken any laws that he was aware of and so he was forced to allow the man to leave on his own cognition._

_Detectives Bellefluer and Beck were both in the police station Headquarters when the suspect somehow escaped the cell he'd been put in and is currently at large._

_Detective Bellefluer was baffled by the escape. "He was only arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace, they're both misdemeanors. I don't know why he'd go and escape when we would have let him out this morning, anyway," he told us this morning during an exclusive interview._

_Detective Beck was similarly perplexed. "I just can't see how he did it. We have cameras all up and down these halls. One minute he was there and the next he wasn't," he said. "This is our first break-out so we're handling it as best we can."_

_It has been reported that local law enforcement has been in contact with both Shreveport and Monroe Police Departments as it's likely that Taverty would try to leave the area immediately._

_The police have been reviewing all CCTV footage of the station as well as questioning citizens in the neighborhoods surrounding the station to see if anyone has witnessed any suspicious activity in the last 24 hours._

_Law Enforcement is requesting that all citizens of Bon Temps be cautious and on alert. There are questions involving Mr. Taverty's mental health. He may be a danger to himself and others. Citizens should call the police immediately if they witness any odd activity or see Taverty who remains at large._

The bottom of the article contained a very unflattering mug-shot of Lee Taverty with the number for the police hotline above the picture.

After my night with Eric I had completely forgotten about the odd incident at the bar with the man who seemed to know me. I had meant to mention it to him but once we'd started talking I let it slip my mind. The delightful feeling that I'd woken up with was starting to fade away.

"You see," my brother said pointing at the page. "That nut that knew who we were, he's loose and running around somewhere in Bon Temps."

I sipped my coffee and made myself busy fixing Jason something to eat and pouring him a cup of coffee. "You know," I said while I poured milk into his coffee, "He's probably long gone by now. I don't see why he'd stay in Bon Temps."

Jason took the coffee and set it down on the table to wait for it to cool down a bit. "Yeah, but he knew who we were, Sookie, and I ain't never seen that man before. He ain't a friend of yours is he?"

"No, he is most certainly not a friend of mine!" I plucked the toast out of the toaster and flipped over the fried eggs. "I certainly don't hang around with those Fellowship people."

Jason muttered his thanks when I put the plate down in front of him. Fried eggs, toast and sausage was his favorite breakfast meal. I grinned as I saw his face light up at the sight of the plate. Jason was easily pleased when it came to food though he was really picky about everything else in his life.

"I think this is bad news for us," he said between bites. "I mean; he knew my name and that I was your brother. He ain't even from around here so he wouldn't know that unless he had been told and I can't imagine anyone around here telling him a thing. He looks like an axe murderer."

Jason had a point. On rare occasions my brother made up for his lack of true intelligence with a stroke of clever mystery solving. No one in Bon Temps would have told Lee Taverty a thing and from what his friend had been thinking, they'd driven from Shreveport. I had a hunch that Bon Temps had been their only stop and I knew for a fact that the more handsome one hadn't understood why they'd come all the way to our backwoods town to go to a local bar.

"So you keep yourself safe, you here!" My brother commanded as he swallowed the last of his eggs and put the dish in the sink. "You still got vampire Bill looking after you at night?"

Another subject I'd been hoping to ignore for a couple hundred years or so. Bill Compton, or Vampire Bill as he was called these days, had been my first love and the first man I'd ever gone to bed with. The story was long and convoluted but suffice it to say that he was a no good cheater and I was through with him.

Of course, he still told me that he loved me and that he'd do anything to get my back but I was tired of listening. Even after that he still watched over me at night. I wasn't sure if he was doing it out of love or if Eric, his sheriff and boss, had told him to. It didn't matter why; all that mattered was that he was there and he was watching.

"Yes, he still strolls about at night, keeping guard," I said coolly. The subject was not open for discussion and my brother seemed to take the hint, surprisingly enough.

"You seeing that big vamp now? The one with the corvette?"

Okay, perhaps Jason hadn't gotten the hint. I nodded noncommittally and concentrated on scrubbing the plate Jason had just used.

"That's a nice car. I'd like to get me one of them. You think maybe he'd let me drive it, since he's dating my sister and all?"

I laughed. I could just see Eric's face when I asked him if my idiot brother could take his red corvette out for a drive. "Not a chance in hell," I responded.

Before Jason left he reminded me again to stay safe and advised me to let my friends, the vamps and weres was what he meant, what was going on with this Lee Taverty. He was hoping one of them could dig up some information. Of course, I knew the person to call.

I left a message at Fangtasia for Pam to call me back when she woke. I told her I'd be at work until 7:30pm but I'd probably get home around 8:00pm. I told her that I had information that may be of interest to her. Hopefully that would rattle her enough to get her to call me back. Pam was usually reliable but every now and then she'd deem something else more important and forget all together about the silly human concerns.

Work was thankfully quite uneventful. Sam kept trying to catch my eye but I was pointedly avoiding it. I knew he wanted to talk to me about Eric and about what had happened after I'd left last night. I wasn't prepared to tell the story and I was certain that Sam didn't want to hear it, no matter how much it irked him to not know.

I got too busy for a conversation with anyone when the dinner crowd came in. Everyone seemed to be talking about the escaped convict. There were rumors flying around that he was camped out in the woods around Bon Temps just waiting for someone to pass by and become his next victim. Mothers were boasting about how they weren't letting their kids out after dark and a few guys were laughing raucously at the suggestion that the police just send "Nose Jab Sam" to get the job done.

By 7:30pm I was counting up my tips and by 8:00pm I was driving down Hummingbird Road on my way home. I was surprised to see Pam's Mercedes Benz in my drive when I rounded the corner. I was expecting a phone call, not a house call. I parked and waved to her when she waved at me.

Pam, Eric's second in command, was what I liked to call PTA Chic. She was dressed in a khaki colored knee length dress with a wide leather belt at the waist. She stood in the driveway next to her car, grimacing down at the gravel. Her beige stilettos weren't made to walk on gravel roads and she hated to chip the heels.

"Hey, Pam," I said as I got out my car. "I wasn't expecting you to come by; I thought you'd just call."

"I wanted to catch you before Eric got here," she said plainly.

I could tell something that I probably wasn't going to like was about to happen. Pam rarely showed the will to hide anything from her maker and if she was hoping to speak to me before Eric arrived then I was certain she wanted to talk to me about him.

"Come on in," I called to her as I marched up the steps and went right to the kitchen for a bottle of TrueBlood. I was glad I'd stocked up again before I went to work. I heated it up as Pam sat on the couch and examined the heel of her shoes for chips.

When I returned with the bottle she eyed me wearily before taking a sip. "You know you're making him crazy, right?"

I gave her a blank stare. I hadn't been prepared for that remark nor did I have a proper answer for it.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Tonight, when he rose, he screamed your name. Last night he refused to feed from a female that was, well, quite enticing. Now he is insisting that he must see you nightly and that we must run the bar in his absence." She drank more blood as I stared at her in amazement. "You know, it's not good for business. A lot of the Fangtasia regulars come just to look at Eric."

I didn't know what to say. "Well, I haven't asked him to come see me every night."

"I had assumed as much. I don't know what the answer is but we'd better come up with one rather quickly or he'll be run the business right into the ground and take himself along with it," she said with mild indignation. "So, what is this information you have for me?"

The sudden change of topic was a welcome relief though my mind was still reeling about Eric's sudden change in temperament.

"Oh right." I went to the kitchen and picked up the paper my brother had left there and placed it on the coffee table in front of Pam.

She read it very quickly then looked up at me, "So?"

"He was in Merlotte's last night and he knew me and my brother by name. He also knew that Sam was a shifter and he referred to me, in his head, as a fangbanger," I explained. "There was something off about him. I couldn't get a good read in his head. It was all chaos, not like any sup I've been able to read from but not human either. And they still can't figure out how he escaped."

"Witch?" she quipped.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. Witches sound human to me. Of course, that could be the explanation for how he escaped." I thought about it for a moment as Pam reread the article. "He must have had to report back to somewhere very quickly if he was willing to break out of a jail cell when they were going to set him free the next morning," I said.

"Fair point, we'll have to look into it," she finished her bottle of blood and pulled a tiny cell phone from her purse.

Her conversation was curt and direct, very Pam. "Find out who and what Lee Taverty is. Find out who he works for, who he's affiliated with and what business he might have in our neck of the woods. I want the information this night, understood." With that she hung up.

"Eric will be here within the hour. I'm going to be off," she got up and turned toward the door. Before opening it she turned to me and said, "Wear your hair down, he likes it that way." She smiled at me and closed the door behind her. I heard her Mercedes rumble up the gravel drive.

I took a quick shower and blow-dried my hair, leaving it down as Pam suggested. I decided I'd go have a cup of sweet tea while I was waiting for Eric.

I wasn't sure what I was going to say to him. I'd gotten the impression that Pam had wanted me to at least mention his change in habits and in some way persuade him to prioritize. It was selfish of me but it made me feel good to think that Eric had taken such steps to prove his feelings for me. It was completely outside of his character to put anything before business, yet according to Pam he'd done just that. Though I did selfishly want him all to myself, I knew that it wouldn't be right to claim all of his time and allow him to let Fangtasia fall into ruins.

When I turned the corner into the kitchen to fetch my tea I nearly jumped out of my skin in surprise. Eric was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the cover story of the newspaper.

"My goodness, you scared the life out of me, Eric!" I said in exasperation. "You know it's polite to knock."

"Yes, but then I wouldn't get the privilege of seeing you with that look of fearful surprise," he laughed and put the paper down. "Come to me, my lover." He held out his arms to me.

I suppressed a girlish giggle and went to him. He folded me up in his arms and placed me on his lap. Without hesitation he bent and put his lips to mine. It was a feather light touch and I moaned at the feel of it. "Tell me, my lover, what would be your pleasure tonight?" he asked between kisses.

"Oh, I have to tell you something," I said as I righted myself in his lap. "I've already told Pam, she was by earlier."

I recounted the tale of Lee Taverty to Eric and told him that Pam had made a call to get information on the man. He was silent for a moment as he processed all the information.

"This man, he knew you by name and showed up at the bar you work at during your shift and he pointed out your brother?"

I nodded.

"Then you must be guarded," he said it simply and with conviction. It wasn't a question, it was a command.

"I don't need to be guarded!" I said indignantly.

"I beg to differ," he said as he ran his fingers through my hair. "If something were to happen to you, my lover, I would not be able to continue. I will stay here to guard you."

"No!" I said immediately. "You have to be at Fangtasia. You don't have time to be here with me every night."

He cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Then you will come with me, stay in my home and come with me to Fangtasia at night."

Again, he had not asked me a question but commanded me to come with him. I balked. "No, I have a job and bills to pay and a house to keep."

"I will arrange for these things to be taken care of. I will not lose you, Sookie." He sounded indignant, even angry.

"Eric," I said softly. I ran my fingers through his blond locks and attempted to speak in a soothing voice. "You have a bar to maintain, servants to keep happy and a lot of responsibility. I cannot be your only focus."

He grimaced and held my hands to his lips for a chaste kiss. "I know you are right, logically, but I cannot help myself." He adjusted me slightly and draped an arm over my mid-section. "I shout for you when I rise. I cannot be without you, my lover. Not if I wish to stay sane."

I felt a sudden surge of hope. Eric was giving it off in waves and the blood-bond was directing it right toward me. He was hoping that I'd say yes, hoping that I'd go with him and be by his side for a while. I felt the pain that he'd felt when he'd had to part ways with me so unwillingly. I felt the yearning as he recalled himself waking that night and reaching out for me, then calling my name to the empty room.

I couldn't find it in myself to deny him.

The phone call to Sam had been rather curt. I rarely asked for days off and I always came in when someone called out so he didn't have a good reason to deny me the time off. Before he hung up he asked me if everything was alright. I had told him that everything was fine and that I just needed a week or two.

Before I knew it my bags were packed and I was inside Eric's corvette, on my way to Shreveport.

A/N : This chapters a bit shorter, sorry. I forgot to put the Notes at the bottom of the last chapter so here's the direct Translation for Eric's Old Norse, **Minn elska, yðvarr minn þurfa: **My love, you are my sunshine. All comments, criticism and reviews are welcome. Thanks for reading!


	3. Traditionally Modern

**Dead Serious**

**Chapter 3**

The ride to Shreveport was pretty silent. Eric was deep in thought and I was running over all the reasons that I shouldn't be here in this red corvette, speeding down the Louisiana freeway.

Of course, there were the obvious reasons; I had a job and a house to keep. I had a roommate that would notice and likely be worried about my absence (I made a mental note to call Amelia in the morning). I wasn't even sure that Eric and I were in any situation to be playing house, either. I hoped he wasn't thinking I'd be walking around barefoot, fixing suppers and doing the laundry.

It wasn't that I didn't want those things in life. I had dreamed, like all little girls, that one day I'd be married to a handsome man and I'd be a Mama that cooked; cleaned and baked cookies. The more time I spent with Eric the less likely that future seemed. If I was being honest with myself, I did want those things with Eric; but reality was always a hard slap in the face. This would have no fairy tale ending. Not to mention the fact that I was only playing house because there was a strong likelihood that someone was trying to kill me. Attempted murder had been a strong running theme in my life, especially since I started keeping company with the supes.

When we came off the freeway and into a more residential looking area, I took the time to take in my surroundings. The streets were well kept in the suburban neighborhood we were driving through. The houses were all very old but some had been added to over the years, like my old house. It gave off the feeling of a normal American, working-class neighborhood.

When we turned onto Sunny Lane I almost laughed out loud. Oh, the irony that Eric Northman, vampire to be reckoned with, would live off of Sunny Lane! The houses became more and more sparse and were situated further back from the road. Another left turn onto Breezy Drive and there were no houses to speak of for at least a quarter of a mile. Louisiana forest spread out around us. Finally a large clearing appeared in the wildlife and there, about a football field away from the road, down a long gravel drive, was our destination.

The house we pulled up to wasn't exactly what I'd expected. You assume someone who drives around in a cherry red corvette would surely make his home in a palatial mansion. Eric seemed to be full of surprises. It was just an old Victorian style house. Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous but it wasn't what I'd expected.

The lawn was well manicured as I walked across it. Surely, he hired gardeners and such to do that in the day. I stood in front of the house to admire it for a moment while Eric took my bag out of the tiny little corvette trunk. The house was all brown and gray with white and cream trim, two stories with an attic and a single Victorian style turret that extended into the night sky. The porch wrapped around the right side of the house and the lattice looked like it'd recently been freshly painted. There were two comfortable looking wicker lounges on the porch that were just the sort of place I'd love to sit and read in the morning.

"You like it?" I heard a whisper from very close behind. I jumped about a foot in the air. I really hated it when they snuck up on you and the vampires I knew seemed to love doing it.

"Yes, it's really pretty and very traditional."

"I like traditional, sometimes," he laughed lightly. "Let me show you the inside quickly then we'll have to get to Fangtasia. Pam has called to inquire twice." Eric said the last bit as though it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He led the way up the stairs and onto the porch. I was trailing behind him, still taking in the surprising scenery. He opened the large double doors to a long foyer with high ceilings, traditional in Victorian style homes. There was a staircase made of polished oak that led up to the second story to the left. The hall extended into a large open area which Eric led me into. To the left was what I assumed was a family room at one time.

It was decorated in a traditional style. There was a big brown leather couch and two matching leather easy chairs. A big blue rug that looked expensive sat between the couch and the entertainment center. His television, mounted on the wall, was bigger than any I'd ever seen and I took a moment to stare at it blankly. Beneath it, also mounted to the wall on small shelves, he had lots of gadgets and electronics that I'd surely never figure out how to use. The room screamed masculine.

To the right there was a very modern kitchen. I looked with envy at the stainless steel refrigerator and countertops. He had a ton of appliances though I was sure the only one he ever used would be the microwave to heat up the occasional Trueblood. Eric was no fan of the synthetic stuff and I think he only drank it when he couldn't find a willing donor.

Behind the kitchen was a circular sun room with lots of windows and a little dining area. I thought it was cute and homey. There were potted plants along the walls, all leaning toward the giant windows where the afternoon sun would shine brightest. I felt a little lump in my chest when I realized that Eric would never get to see his plants soak in that sunlight.

"Wow," I said in awe. "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you," he said with a grin. "There isn't any food in the refrigerator but I'll have someone stock it tonight." He put his arm around my shoulder and tugged me close to him. "I hope you'll be comfortable here."

He'd deposited my luggage in the foyer and picked it back up before we went up to see the second story. It was carpeted upstairs. A nice carpet that I thought I might like to wiggle my toes in. There were two doors on either side of the hallway. One, I imagined, was a bathroom and the other was likely an unused bedroom. The closed door at the end of the hallway was where we headed. It was clearly the master bedroom.

It was the side of the house that contained the circular turret so one side of the room was rounded with a big window that had a large cushion on the ledge, big enough for me to curl up on and read. The bed, large enough to sleep three, was centered in the room. I liked it immediately. It was an old sleigh style bed made of what looked like maple. There were matching nightstands, each holding an illuminated table lamp, on either side of the bed. It had comfortable looking dark blue linens and a black comforter. Every bit of me wanted to lay spread eagle on that bed and just let out a sigh of relief.

To the left of the room was a large walk in closet, where Eric was putting down my bags. Next to that was the door that I imagined led to the private bath?

"Bathroom's there," Eric pointed to the door I'd been expecting. He tossed my little overnight bag, containing my toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush and some deodorant, to me. "In case you want to freshen up before we go."

I nodded and made my way toward the door. When I found the light switch and flipped it on I may have actually gasped aloud. The bathroom was spacious and I immediately felt jealous as I thought about my small bathroom at home. There was a small dais in the center of the tiled room with a raised whirlpool tub. I'd definitely be trying that out sometime soon. The his and hers sinks had a massive mirror behind them and the toilet was somewhat hidden on the other side. Behind me was a walk in shower made of glazed glass.

Everything was extremely clean. I'd have to ask Eric what maid service he'd gotten because I was curious as to who he might trust to be in his house while he was hidden away in his sleeping space. Vampires, especially ones with Eric's standing, didn't trust easily.

I brushed my teeth and combed out my hair quickly, trying not to think about how much all of this must have cost. Money was something Eric had plenty of and I'd known that for some time. Still, I'd never really been in the home of someone who didn't have to worry about money. I took care not to leave any water or stray hair on the countertops. While I reapplied some make-up I took in the idea that I'd be essentially living here for a little while. I thought I might be spending my time here tiptoeing around, worried that I'd damage the high dollar furniture.

Eric was sitting on the window ledge, looking out at the night sky when I came out of the bathroom. He looked over to me and smiled.

"I'm not really dressed for clubbing." I looked down at my ensemble. I had changed into a knee length khaki skirt and a tank top with little flowers on it before we'd left. It wasn't exactly hip or modern but I'd changed in a hurry and had to grab whatever was clean while I packed.

"You look beautiful, as usual," he said as he stood and wrapped his arms around me. "Nothing would make me happier than to take these clothes off of you right now and use this bed for its intended purpose," his voice was a low growl in my ear that got my heart pumping fast.

He put his nose to my neck and nuzzled me a little while he ran his fingers through my hair. My body, and if I was being totally honest, my mind, wanted to take him up on that offer. I eyed the bed longingly as he pulled away from me.

"But Pam might blow a gasket if I don't get back to Fangtasia as soon as possible," he kissed my cheek softly.

I grinned back at him, "I don't think there's anything in this world Pam can't handle."

"I like your way of thinking, my love, but I am needed." He took my hand as we left the comfortable bed behind. "There are regulars at Fangtasia. They come weekly or more often multiple times per week, and many of them come to see me." A trace of the egotistical Eric I'd come to know slipped out as spoke. His wicked grin was incredibly enticing and I was forced to put it out of my mind now that we were back on the front porch.

The parking lot at Fangtasia was packed. Most bars and clubs didn't get that kind of a crowd on a Wednesday evening but Fangtasia wasn't most kind of bars. Tourists, kids looking for a thrill, fangbangers and all manner of people lined up at its door to get a look at how the vampires lived out their nocturnal lives. We parked around the back and headed toward the Employee Entrance, Eric's hand firmly clasped around mine the whole way.

I wasn't a big fan of Fangtasia. That was possibly because just about every time I entered the place something horrible and life-changing seemed to occur. My first boyfriend, vampire Bill, had staked the bartender who was trying to kill me when I outed him for being a thief. I'd once found the place in ruins and two of its human daytime employees in trouble, one was already dead and the other had required a lengthy stay at the hospital. And then there was the time when I unknowingly proposed to Eric, via a ceremonial knife, here. The most recent time hadn't been so bad though. Eric and I had a decent conversation in one of the booths. Maybe my bad luck with the vampire bar had run out.

I heard "Black Velvet" playing in the main bar as Eric and I walked down the back hall and into his office. Pam was sitting behind his desk, wearing her black vampire get-up; a human girl with long dark hair, pulled into a tight bun, was sitting across from her.

The human was dressed in a long skirt, heels and a silk blouse. She looked a tad-bit too nice to be in a vampire bar. There was a black leather purse, expensive looking, in her lap and her hands were clasped over it. She turned to look as we entered and gave a beaming smile.

"Claudia, this is Eric, the co-owner, and his fiancée, Miss Sookie Stackhouse," Pam said by way of introduction.

The girl's eyebrows rose slightly when she managed to take in my introduction as Eric's fiancée. Though the state now recognized vampire to vampire marriages there was still a taboo on vampire-human relationships. Most people just assumed vampires didn't have the capacity to love a human after spending so many years of killing them. In most cases, I would have agreed.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Northman, and Miss Stackhouse," she held out her hand to me and I shook it with a smile. She had a firm, professional grip.

"My apologies for being late," Eric said with a nod of his head. Pam was up from his desk and beside me in a matter of seconds. "Pam, would you escort Sookie to the bar," he said as he took his rightful seat behind the desk and Claudia sat back down opposite him. He said something in what sounded like Russian. Pam nodded and we made an easy exit, closing the door behind us.

"Not surprised to see you here," Pam said with a smile. "I suppose you're going to spend all of your time under his thumb until we figure out what's up with this Lee character."

"I suppose."

"Well, at least he might keep his schedule now that he's not traipsing down to Bon Temps the minute he rises." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. Eric's change in demeanor had really put Pam on edge. She didn't like this one bit and I found it hard to blame her. When someone you've known for hundreds of years suddenly starts acting differently it's probably a cause for worry.

"I'm sorry about all this," I apologized as she led me to a booth.

"It's no fault of yours." A vampire waitress wearing a skirt that was hardly more than a strip of fabric and a neon purple bra sidled over to us. "Nothing for me," Pam said.

"Umm… I'll have a vodka and cranberry." I wasn't a big drinker so I'd just said the name of something I'd heard a lot of people order at Merlotte's. It couldn't be all bad seeing as how so many people seemed to like it.

"Her tab is on the house," Pam mentioned as the waitress walked away. She nodded in acknowledgement and headed straight for the bar to put in my drink order.

I had a moment to look around the bar while I waited for my drink. Pam seemed to be quite keen on keeping her eyeliner perfectly straight and was currently going over it again with the help of tiny little hand mirror.

The place was loud and busy tonight. It looked like three times the crowd Merlotte's got on a good night. It was clear who were the fangbangers and who were the curious tourists.

There was a table of ladies, all in their late twenties, with fruity looking concoctions in front of them. The prettiest one, a blond with large blue eyes and high cheekbones, was wearing a sash that said "Bride to be" in bold calligraphy. It seemed that even young bachelorette's liked to walk on the wild side.

There were small groups of men, all looking at the vampire ladies as they walked by, and making loud comments here and there. Most of them were clearly drunk but not stupid enough to cause any trouble in a bar full of bloodsuckers.

There were vampires spread around, some sitting in booths and some on stools at the bar. Fangbangers were hanging off of some, all scantily clad and showing off their many bite marks. I had nothing against them. I tended to look at it like any other addiction; some people just couldn't help themselves. And here they were, hanging all over the vamps just looking for their next high.

A girl, clearly a fangbanger or donor judging by the amount of bite marks on her neck, caught my eye. She was sitting directly in front of the raised dais that Eric usually sat at. She stared up at the throne-like chair that my vampire usually occupied, just waiting. Her hair was dirty blonde and loose. It hung in waves to her shoulders. She wore little make-up and what she wore was tasteful in my opinion. Just a bit of blush, some light lipstick and a little eyeliner. She wasn't dressed like the other vampire lovers in the bar. She wore a knee length dress that was cut in a baby doll style. A style I'd worn many times and still wear when the weather's right. She looked completely comfortable but so very out of place.

Pam caught me starring at the girl. "Mary," she said without preamble. "She _was_ Eric's favorite donor," putting emphasis on the past tense. Pam gave me a pointed look and I wasn't sure how to react. "She sat there for four hours last night before she finally realized he wasn't coming out."

The girl returned with my drink and I was thankful to have a moment to look away from Pam. I thanked her graciously and sipped. Vodka and cranberry wasn't all bad, I decided.

"He refused her two nights ago and she's been rather morose since." I took that in. Was she pinning away for Eric? Maybe she'd fallen in love with him. A boiling rage of jealousy came over me suddenly and then vanished just as quickly. I'd wondered if he had slept with her. "Silly humans," Pam grinned. "They become attached so easily. I'm sure she had some fairytale ending in her head where Eric would fall madly in love with her, turn her and take her as his wife." Pam grinned at me again. "But it looks like that spot's already filled."

I couldn't think of a decent response to that. The girl suddenly turned and we looked at each other. She scowled visibly and returned to her vigil of the empty chair. I was slightly taken aback by her reaction. Surely she didn't know that I was the reason Eric had scorned her. No, she was probably like that with everyone who looked at her these days. She looked like a woman with a broken heart who was just waiting for someone to come along and mend it for her. Too bad it seemed like my Viking was the only one she'd let do the job. Too bad for her, that is.

A/N: Link to the picture I used to describe Eric's house: . . That's exactly how I'd imagined it in my head. This chapter sort of ends abruptly but I'm already working on Chapter 4. It shouldn't be too long before I have it written/edited and posted. Reviews are welcomed and thanks so much for reading!!


	4. Green with Envy

**Dead Serious**

**Chapter 4**

"Just what I need," I heard Pam mutter while I was finishing off my vodka and cranberry.

I craned my head in the direction she was looking. One of the drunken young men was stumbling toward the booth where three vampires, with fangbangers on their arms, were sitting. He had a look of disgust on his face and was waving his beer around as he fumbled through the crowd. He was in his early twenties and apparently a bit of an idiot when he had more than his share of alcohol. His buddies were shaking their heads slowly and calling him back to the table.

"He's planning on acting quite stupidly, isn't he?" Pam asked.

I took that as her asking me to look into his mind and the pointed look she gave me confirmed it. I let my guards down and reached out rather reluctantly. I didn't like to use my "skill" if I didn't have to but seeing as how it was likely in the best interest of Eric's bar, I did it without complaint.

"_I can't believe her! Hanging off of that vamp like that! In public in little more than underwear, rubbing herself all over that bloodsucker! She's doing it to make me jealous! Well, I'll show her. I never should have brought her here in the first place. Now she's a damn fangbanger and I'm spending my nights jerking off at home…"_

I winced and pulled back. I didn't want to hear any more about how that young man spent his lonely evenings.

"That's his ex over there," I pointed toward the pretty brunette sitting at the table. She was smiling and rubbing her hand up and down the vamps arm. The vampire looked mildly interested. "He's fixing to go over there and tell her off. He brought her here and now he's angry that she's left him and become a full-time fangbanger."

Pam was up in an instant. She had pulled the young man toward her, away from the booth and was speaking to him in a hushed tone. As much as I knew she despised having to do this, Pam was responsible and she took her responsibilities as co-owner of the bar very seriously. If she had the choice I'm sure she would have rather let the jealous drunk start a fight that he couldn't win.

While she defused the situation, the waitress brought me another drink. I was just starting to feel the nice tingly sensation from the first one and accepted the second reluctantly. I hadn't ever been truly drunk and I wasn't sure I wanted to have a go at it either. I certainly didn't want to have my first episode of drunkenness in a vampire bar.

My eyes turned back to Mary, Eric's _once_ favorite donor and possible sex partner, who was still staring up at the empty throne. I felt a small amount of pity for her. I knew what it was like to be in love with someone and to feel something like rejection. My first boyfriend, Bill Compton, had cheated on me with his vampire maker, Lorena. Infidelity is a form of rejection as far as I'm concerned and I knew just how she felt on that level. My pity was half drowned though because I knew that she was in love with, or infatuated with, _my_ vampire.

I wasn't used to jealousy over lovers. Bill had been my first boyfriend, first love, and first sexual partner. So I wasn't exactly well schooled in the ways of the heart. I'd felt jealous of Lorena and the fact that Bill had slept with her. I sometimes felt jealous of Pam's beauty and intelligence. I even sometimes felt jealous of my friend Tara who had a perfectly normal life with her perfectly normal husband. This kind of jealousy was new to me though. It boiled in my stomach and made me feel both anxious and angry. I told myself quite plainly that Eric had refused her and that even if he had slept with her before, he was mine now. It didn't help much.

Just as Pam ushered the young man out of the main entrance of the bar, and his buddies followed, Eric came around the corner. I felt at ease again, and smiled slightly.

He took Pam's place in the booth, sitting across from me. He held out his hands, palms up, and I filled them with mine. I saw Claudia, the human he'd been meeting with, walk briskly to the door without turning back. She even carried herself professionally and I caught a glimpse of her back as she exited into the parking lot.

"She's doing some work for us," he commented. "She used to be a member of the Fellowship of the Sun."

That caught my attention. I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"She's turned, and taken quite a few with her," he continued casually. "She had joined to search for God in a crazy world. She found only cruelty and unwarranted hatred with the Fellowship. She is working for us now, inside the fellowship." Eric squeezed my hand a little. "I'm not sure if she's trustworthy."

I looked up at him and he gave me a pointed look, much like the one Pam had given me earlier. I knew he wanted me to look inside her head and see if she was being honest or not. I sighed. "When are you meeting with her again?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night."

I squeezed his hand in return. "I'll do it for you." He grinned back at me, that sexy grin that was hard to resist. I felt my pulse quicken a little in response.

I went back to my drink when he released my hands. I was feeling a little bit more at ease and I wasn't sure whether it was Eric's presence or the alcohol. Either way, I was more comfortable than I'd ever been inside Fangtasia.

"You were feeling jealousy right before I came out."

That unexpected comment washed my ease away in an instant. I knew I was blushing. The blood-bond with Eric enlightened me to how other people felt when they knew I'd been rummaging around in their mind. I didn't like it at all.

My eyes flickered over to the love struck Mary, who was now staring baldly at me and Eric. There was hope in her eyes now that Eric was visible. I felt another pang of pity because I was sure Eric hadn't even noticed her yet.

Eric's eyes had followed my gaze. I heard him sigh. I thought it was odd because Eric rarely even pretended to breathe. I turned my eyes back to him instantly, feeling even more embarrassed that I'd given the cause of my jealousy away so easily. Perhaps alcohol wasn't a good thing for me.

"She's just a donor," he said with a shrug. "I quite like the idea that you're feeling possessive of me though." He grinned sexily and took my hand again. "Am I yours then? No more doubts or bullheadedness?"

That ruffled my feathers a bit at first but when I thought about it, I had been bullheaded. I had put off our talk for as long as possible because I didn't want to admit the way I felt about Eric to myself. I had simply been ignoring the truth or blaming it on the magical blood-bond rather than looking inside myself and accepting it for what it was. My grandmother used to say, "The mind has no place in matters of the heart." I was starting to understand what she meant. My mind had decided that my heart must have been plain mad to fall for Eric so I hadn't allowed myself to believe it. I'd been refusing to accept the facts for quite a while and if that isn't bullheadedness then I don't know what is.

"You're mine," I said with a nod. I returned to my drink, thankful to have an excuse to look away from his smoldering blue eyes. I knew he was smiling and I glanced up long enough to recognize it as his genuine smile. It was a rare occurrence with Eric. He was usually the grinning, smirking and winking type.

The sweet moment didn't last long. Pam appeared out of nowhere. She gave Eric a pained look. "I can't stand her sitting over there pining. It's pathetic."

I didn't have to look up to know that she was talking about Mary. I scooted over so Pam could sit down. Eric scooted over too so that he maintained his spot directly in front of me.

I glanced over at Mary who was still starring. Her head was tilted to the side a bit and her brown eyes were focused on Eric. She looked both forlorn and mesmerized by the sight of him sitting casually with me and Pam.

Pam rolled her eyes as she looked over at the girl. "You've got to do something. She's bad for business, sitting there looking as though she's having the worst time of her life. She hasn't even ordered a drink."

"Tell her that the bar is only for paying customers," Eric responded. His eyes never left mine. He wasn't the slightest bit concerned and apparently didn't see a need to address the situation personally.

"Eric!" Pam said his name with pure venom in her tone. That seemed to catch his attention and he turned his eyes from me and landed them squarely on his second in command. He didn't look very pleased. "You know why she's here and what she wants. End it."

With that, Pam stood and walked toward the hostess podium to take her shift. I was slightly surprised. I had never heard Pam, or anyone for that matter, talk to Eric like that. I guess she was fed up with him lately. He'd been out of sorts, ignoring his business matters to some extent. Pam apparently considered this to be a matter that she wasn't going to handle for him.

He turned back to me as I eyed Mary. She may as well have been boring holes into my head the way she stared at me.

"Do you want her to leave?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "It's your bar."

"Yes, it is. Does her staring make you uncomfortable?"

It did, to an extent, because it riled my jealousy a little bit. She was a pretty little thing and I was certain that half the men in Bon Temps wouldn't have thrown her out of bed for eating crackers. I also thought that the live men, and maybe even some of the vamps who didn't know her connection to Eric, would have approached her tonight if she hadn't been looking so downtrodden.

"No," I said a little untruthfully. "But I still think you should go talk to her. She's obviously waiting for you to."

He stood and held out his hand to me, "Come with me. I'll introduce you."

I hadn't been expecting that and I wasn't sure whether or not it was a good idea. "Are you sure that's…"

He cut me off mid-sentence. "Yes, I'm sure."

I took his hand and stood, feeling slightly uncertain on my feet after two drinks. I was certainly a light-weight when it came to booze.

Mary's eyes filled with silent excitement when she realized that Eric and I were approaching her lonely table. She turned toward him and smiled serenely when he sat down. I sat next to him, putting on my best smile.

"Mary Danforth," he gestured to her slightly then turned his eyes back to me. "This is Sookie Stackhouse."

Her eyes didn't even flicker from his face as she spoke "Hello, Miss Stackhouse." Her voice was light and airy. She was smiling serenely still, not even sparing me a glance. I turned my nose up a bit, she'd been rude.

"My _fiancé_," Eric said, emphasizing the last word.

Her smile faltered slightly and confusion swept over her eyes within seconds. My own fake smile, which I'd still been holding, faltered as well.

I was slightly miffed at Eric now. I saw quite plainly why he'd wanted me to come with him. By introducing her to me he'd told her to get on with her life without ever having to say the words. That unsettled me. The Eric I knew didn't care much about the feelings of most of the humans around him, myself being the only exception I knew of. The Eric I knew could have easily walked over to her and told her plainly that he didn't want her anymore. He wouldn't even have noticed or cared if she had run out of Fangtasia crying her eyes out. Why then, had he not simply told her to get out? Why had he, in some sense, spared her the pain of pure rejection?

Obviously that wasn't what she'd wanted to hear either. She spared me a glance now. She looked me up and down, as if sizing up the competition, before she returned her gaze to Eric. His face was impassive, as though he were merely introducing me to a stranger who had no stake in our relationship. It was crystal clear that Mary thought she had a stake in Eric's relationships, and you didn't have to be a telepath to know it.

"I see," she whispered. Her eyes left his again. She bowed her head and looked at her lap. I had the odd feeling of discomfort you get around someone who's experiencing a terribly lonely moment. I felt the sudden urge to get up and give her the solitude she wanted. I was hoping she wouldn't cry but I saw a single tear dangle from her brown lash as she stared hopelessly into her own lap. It silently dripped from her lash and landed with a little splash on the table.

"I'm sorry," I muttered without even thinking about it. I'd been raised to try to comfort those in despair, especially so if I was the cause of that despair.

Eric glanced at me, a look of slight confusion in his eyes. I shrugged and made a face of discomfort.

Surely he could feel how awkward I felt in this situation, he must have known that I wasn't going to be thanking him for putting me into this position either. Sometimes the blood-bond was useful. I didn't have to say out loud that I was uncomfortable, wanted to get as far away from this whole ordeal as possible and was feeling a whole lot of pity for this poor girl. He could feel it coming off of me in waves.

"I don't see why you're getting so worked up," he said with a tone of pure indifference. I scowled slightly. He was being insensitive to the poor thing that was currently attempting to stifle her little whimpers of despair.

"She's…she's human," the girl stammered. She was wiping her face with the back of her hand. I gave her a little bit of respect for attempting to pull herself together and face this head-on. It wasn't an easy thing to do when emotions were running high, I knew that myself. She looked slightly more determined once she'd wiped her cheeks. She tilted her chin up and I smiled. That a girl! Don't let him see your pain; don't give him the pleasure of seeing how much it hurts!

I didn't know why I was rooting her on. She was, after all, sort of my competitor. I'm just not the sort who can be delighted when someone else, enemy or not, is in pain. I also had a streak of pride in me, given to me by my grandmother, which pushed me to revere a strong woman who was standing tall when her world was crumbling around her.

"Yes, I'm human," I said.

She looked from me to Eric again. She either didn't care to hear me speak or she just wanted to hear it from him. I took the snub in stride knowing that I'd probably feel the same way if I were in her shoes.

"Yes, Mary. Sookie is human and she is mine."

I trembled a little at the sound of him being so clearly possessive of me. I was starting to realize that I liked it but I wasn't going to admit that anytime soon.

"As such, I will not need your services as a donor any longer. Fidelity is a virtue that my fiancé expects me to keep in both feeding and bedding."

He spoke to her as if she were the hired help and he had to let her go because he'd found a better person for the job. It seemed like he was just ending a business deal in a semi-formal manner.

She looked up at him, her chin still held high in defiance though her eyes had faltered slightly at the dismissal. She nodded curtly. She had been rejected completely now, her shame was rising to the surface and I wasn't sure I could even bare the awkwardness at this point. "I see, Mr. Northman," she addressed Eric formally and nodded again before standing. She picked up her little purse and with a straight back, walked stiffly toward the exit. I watched her go, feeling like I needed another drink after that exchange.

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Eric had excused himself to tend to more business. He walked back to his office while I returned to the booth we had occupied before and ordered myself another drink.

I sat thinking for a long while. I had a lot to mull over. I felt some respect for Mary who had just gotten a rejection notice that may as well have been written in giant neon letters. She had held her head high, composed herself after a moment of pure emotional stress, and carried on with a determined look.

I remembered how I'd felt after I learned about Bill and Lorena and the lovely little tidbit about how Bill had only sought after me because the queen of Louisiana had ordered him too. Of course, he still swore that he had fallen in love with me during the time that he was supposed to be gaining my confidence. I knew, on some level, that it was true and that Bill did genuinely love me. But my heart had moved on, without my really knowing it, and put me down right here in Fangtasia under the watchful eye of Eric Northman.

I wondered if Bill had felt the way Mary now felt when he learned that Eric and I had become blood-bonded and promised. Had Bill spent his evenings alone, pining away for me while he stared at my little house? Had he cried tears of blood, pained by the idea that I'd chosen someone else? Had he felt anger toward Eric, who had swooped down and snatched me away from him?

Bill had said that his only concern was my safety and that he knew I would be safe with Eric. He wished me no ill and was even now still checking up on my house in the dead of night to make sure I was safe. It had to be painful for him and I felt like a bitch for not having considered the hurt that he'd been feeling. I had even thought that he had deserved it after the heartache that his cheating and lying had caused me. Now that I'd seen that pain and anguish was over a human being before my very eyes, I wasn't sure anyone deserved it.

My little trip down memory lane didn't help my mood at all. Maybe it was the alcohol that made me feel so depressed. With that thought in mind I requested a cup of coffee from the vampire barmaid when she reappeared at my table.

I hadn't noticed that the bar was slowly getting quieter and the crowd was dwindling. I heard the DJ of KDED radio announce that it was ten after two in the morning. Fangtasia closed at three a.m. The vamps had to have time to return to their daytime resting places before dawn. Usually the human employees closed the place down and did the clean up during the day shift.

The bartender was wiping down the bar with a bored expression on her face. She only had one customer left and he was really drunk, slumping a little sideways on his barstool. He'd have to be escorted out and someone would have to call him a cab. I'd dealt with plenty of people like him at Merlotte's. There were two vamps, finishing up their TrueBlood's, in a corner booth. One fangbanger, hoping to get lucky with the conversing vamps, was dancing suggestively and batting her eyelashes in their direction. Neither seemed at all interested. The table that held the bachelorette party had just cleared off, the ladies giggling and stumbling their way out into the parking lot.

It was about two thirty when the remaining vampire customers left. The fangbanger scowled as she stalked out behind them, unhappy with her poor luck. Pam had begrudgingly called a cab for the drunk human, muttering that he was too pitiful to be given any of her precious time.

Pam sat down with me once she'd put the drunk in his cab, quite literally. She had picked the man up as if he were as light as a feather, hoisted him over her shoulder none too gently and dumped him into the backseat of the cab with a disgruntled look on her face. I was sure Pam had never been too pleased with the small nuisances that came with running a bar. She felt herself above such trivial acts but was loyal enough to her master to perform them. She did complain though, loudly.

I listened to Pam go on for a minute or two about how disgusted she was by humans who had no respect for themselves and got too drunk to function on a nightly basis. Then, as if she had complained herself out, she sighed and turned serious.

"My contacts were unable to get much information on this Lee fellow," she said.

She'd gotten my attention. I had previously been quietly cradling my coffee mug without really listening to Pam's complaints. I looked up at her, having downed the last of my coffee, and gave her my full attention.

"We know that he's a member of the Fellowship of the Sun, New Orleans branch. We don't know why he was out in Bon Temps or what his intentions were," she said. "It's best that you stay in Shreveport, with Eric, until we figure this out."

I nodded. I hadn't expected much more than that. If the guy was sly enough to escape a jail cell then I suspected he was smart enough to cover his tracks.

Eric reappeared from the back office then. He held out his hand to me and I accepted it, standing next to him. I heard the KDED DJ announce that they were signing off for the day as it was now three o'clock as we walked out the back door of Fangtasia.

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The drive back to Eric's home was short, less than fifteen minutes, so we didn't have much time to talk. He told me about the phone calls he'd made to important business contacts and that the King was pleased with the work Amelia's father was doing for him in New Orleans. Apparently Felipe De Castro admired a clever businessman and Amelia's dad had proved himself to be such. He was being paid well to rebuild the vampire businesses that Katrina had torn apart. He was doing such a good job that they were well ahead of schedule on a few of the projects and the King was very pleased that Eric had delivered him such a business contact.

I hadn't forgotten that I was angry with Eric for having used me to dismiss Mary but I was content to listen to him talk casually of his work. My Viking hadn't always been this open and I liked it when he talked to me about such simple things as his business dealings. The conversation reminded me of the idealized version of a marriage that you saw on old TV shows. The husband comes home and tells his wife about his day at work while she bustles around to make sure he's comfortable after a long day of bread-winning. I wasn't simple enough to think that Eric and I would ever be like Ward and June Clever but I was still enjoying this little look into his daily life.

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I got on my best nightgown, a filmy white number with pretty ribbons tied around the hem, when we got back into the bedroom. Eric had been sitting in the little window seat, staring out at the night sky again. He looked at me with a smirk on his face as I walked over to the bed and turned it down. He undressed so quickly that it looked like a blur to my drowsy, human eyes. He stood, clad in only silk boxer shorts, at the other side of the bed. I grinned at him as I climbed in and got myself comfortable. All thoughts of anger over the Mary situation dissolved as he climbed in next to me and wrapped his cold arms around me.

It wasn't long before my nightgown was bunched up around my waist and my panties were flung to the floor. Eric's boxer shorts soon joined my underthings.

"I've been waiting for this all night," he whispered in my ear.

His hands were massaging my breasts, the cold of them causing my nipples to harden. My whole body shuddered with delight as he nuzzled against me. His long hair fell onto my face when he bent to kiss and lick at my neck.

"I want what's mine," he whispered.

I was undone. I moaned in response. I felt his grip tighten around me as he thrust into me. He pumped rhythmically, all the while whispering sweet nothings into my ear. He told me how beautiful I was, how he had lusted for me all night and how happy I made him. I was very close to the edge when he bit and that was all it took to push me over. I shouted out so loudly that I could have, no pun intended, awoke the dead. He followed soon after and I heard those same words he'd said in the clutches of passion last night, in his ancient Nordic tongue, shouted to the heavens.

He lay down next to me, sated at last, and threw his arm over my waist. He ran his fingers gently through my hair while I smiled and enjoyed the after-sex glow. I knew I would wake up alone and so I was content to fall asleep happily while Eric whispered softly to me in his ancient language.

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A/N: Hope you're enjoying the fic so far. Thanks for all the reviews and Favorite Author adds! I appreciate it and am really glad that people seem to like what I'm working on. To note the screw ups in my previous chapter: Yes, I know that Eric killed Longshadow in the books, not Bill. Occasionally I confuse the TV series and the novels, I apologize for the mishap! Hopefully this rather long chapter will make up for my accidental deviation from cannon. Also, this site doesn't allow me to post links so the link to the picture that I used for Eric's house wasn't there in my last chapter. I have attempted to put it in a format that bypasses the restrictions but that failed. Sorry!


	5. Short and Sweet

**Dead Serious**

**Chapter 5**

The digital clock on the nightstand was displaying 11:30am when I opened my eyes. After a nice stretch and a few yawns I forced myself out of Eric's comfortable bed. After a trip to the bathroom, in which I tried the fancy standalone shower, I was dressed in one of my baby doll summer dresses and wondering what on earth I was supposed to do now. When a hunger pang sliced at my empty stomach I decided to make my way down to the kitchen and see what I could scrounge up for breakfast.

I had fun fiddling with as many of the appliances as I could when I got down to the kitchen. Someone had stocked the refrigerator while Eric and I were at Fangtasia the night before. The person, or vampire, had bought half of the supermarket from the looks of it. The refrigerator was fit to burst. Food and drinks had been stacked on the shelves, in the drawers and on the little rack attached to the back of the door. The cupboards were stocked too. I didn't know how long I was expected to stay but I knew the amount of food in this house could feed all of Bon Temps for a month.

Twenty minutes later I was on the front porch with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in one hand and the only book I'd packed, a romance novel; in the other. It was a nice day. The kind you get at the end of August, when summer is turning over to fall. I smiled when a cool breeze flew by and tussled my hair. It was going to be a good day, I decided.

I'd eaten my breakfast, washed my dishes and read two chapters of my novel before I remembered to call Amelia and let her know where I was. She wasn't due back from New Orleans for three days but I thought I should at least clue her in to what was going on.

"Hey, Sook," she answered after the second ring. "What's up?"

"Hi, Amelia," I responded. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm out of town for a little bit, in Shreveport. So don't be worried if I'm not there when you get home."

"Shreveport?" I could hear the intrigue in Amelia's voice. "Has this got to do with Mr. Big, Bad and Sexy?"

I had the urge to giggle. "Well, if you mean Eric, yes. I'm staying at his place in Shreveport for a while."

I relayed the story of the mysterious Lee, who Amelia promised to look up on the computer, and listened to Amelia's stories about New Orleans. It was forty minutes later when I finally flipped the little phone closed and put it on the wall charger.

After twenty minutes of trying to figure out how to work the television set, which had four remote controls and three different settings, I gave up. Any hopes of watching daytime TV to pass the time were thrown out the window. I looked around for something to clean but the place was already spick and span. So I had nothing to do until night fell and that was hours away.

Since I didn't have anything useful to do I decided to explore a bit. It turned out that there was a lot more to the old house than I'd taken in last night. I learned that the front porch wrapped all the way around to the back and there was a really nice backyard with a garden. There were two bathrooms on the lower level. They weren't as nice as the ones upstairs but they were sure prettier than the ones I had at home.

I was surprised to find that the room I had thought to be an extra bedroom was actually a small library. There were books practically spilling out of the shelves that were lined up against the wall. A lot of them looked so old that I was afraid to touch them. It wasn't really a surprise, when you're a thousand years old you're bound to have a few antiques lying around. There were books of all shapes and sizes and some in languages I didn't recognize.

After a long while spent browsing, I took a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ off the shelf and settled myself into the window seat in Eric's bedroom. I hadn't read the book since I was in high school and I'd only read it then for a book report. I remembered it fondly for some reason and was pretty pleased to sit down and read it again. After a couple of chapters, there in that comfortable nook, I fell asleep.

When I came to again I found that I was so comfortable I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt myself curled against Eric's cold chest; his arms were wrapped around me. I felt so at ease and so comfortable that I had subconsciously decided I wasn't going anywhere for quite a while.

"Are you awake, my lover?" I heard him whisper.

Very reluctantly, I opened my eyes and smiled. We were still in the window seat. Somehow he had managed to lift me and place me back down in his lap without waking me. I could see in the window's reflection that he was gazing down at my face.

"Yeah," I said sleepily and turned my eyes upward to look at him. His blue eyes were blazing and he was wearing his genuine smile, the one that pulled at my heart strings every time I saw it.

"As reluctant as I am to move, we should be getting to Fangtasia in an hour or so," he said.

I sighed heavily and suppressed the urge to argue. As much as I didn't want to move an inch, I knew I was here because Eric had a bar to manage and he couldn't do that if he spent all of his time with me. Plus, I thought Pam might have my head if I was the cause of Eric missing another night at the office.

With a move so quick I didn't even know it was coming, he picked me up and spun me around so that I was facing him. My wide-eyed expression made him grin wickedly. Not so unexpectedly, he pressed his lips to mine. It was a kiss to beat all kisses, the kind that only Eric could give.

The sound of his cellphone ringing, from somewhere in the pocket of his jeans, broke up the game of tonsil hockey we'd been playing. He flipped it open and said, "Eric."

For a little while he listened and I sat there, waiting impatiently for the call to end so we could finish what we'd started. I could hear Pam's high voice on the other end of the call but couldn't make out what she was saying. Eric's face was expressionless, like vampires were most of the time. Finally he said, "Interesting, we're on our way," and flipped the phone closed.

"We've got to get to the bar," he said while shifting me so that I could stand. "We've got some information on the man who was going to attack you."

Well that got my attention. I stood and turned to him, waiting for him to divulge the information.

"Get ready," he said. "I'll tell you on the way."

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Fifteen minutes later we were cruising toward Fangtasia and Eric was telling me about Lee.

"All we know right now is that he attended a few Fellowship meetings in Shreveport and he told them that he was from Baton Rouge," he explained. "The guy he was with was one of the Shreveport flock. It seems that he befriended the young man right away."

"What about the Baton Rouge people?" I asked. "Do they know him?"

Eric shook his head. "That's where it gets interesting. Lee Taverty, of Baton Rouge, died two weeks ago. "

That was information to think over and it was certainly interesting. "He wasn't a vamp though," I said. "I can't get into vampire minds." I knew he wasn't a werewolf or shifter either because they gave off distinctly different brain waves than Lee had. Lee's mind was a mess but it seemed more like a human mess than anything else. "What the hell is he?" I asked.

"We're not sure yet. One thing is for sure though, Lee Taverty isn't dead and gone in the traditional sense."

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Fangtasia wasn't as packed as it had been last night but it was still early. I was willing to bet that Thursday nights were just as busy as Wednesday's and I couldn't even imagine what it would look like come Friday and Saturday. There were still a few cars in the customer lot when Eric and I pulled in.

He went straight to his office and I made my way to the booth I'd had the night before. Pam caught my eye in an instant from her stand at the front door and she winked at me. I smiled back. The same waitress that had served me before came up and asked if I wanted a vodka and cranberry.

"Thanks!" I said pleasantly. She sauntered off to the bar. I figured, what the hell, I was stuck in a bar for a while so I might as well try to enjoy it.

The bar was buzzing, even with its few customers. There was a table of human women in business suits, probably in Shreveport for some professional meeting. They were all talking boisterously and looking around at the vampires, excited about their rebellious act of going to a vampire bar on the company tab. Little Thalia was sitting in a booth in the corner, cutting her eyes at anyone who dared look her way. For such a small thing she was scary as hell and I didn't want to know her any better than I already did. My eyes rolled right over the table of two male vampires with two barely dressed fangbangers hanging off of them. That was a pretty common thing here, so I'd learned.

Pam came and sat down with me after about ten minutes. She was smiling in a wicked way.

"Did you see that," she said as she sat down. She nodded her head toward the table with the vamps. I looked and still didn't know what she was talking about. "Look at the one in pink," she told me.

The two female fangbangers, who were pretty much rubbing themselves on the vamps, were both young. One was wearing a black lace number that came down just enough to cover her butt and was completely see through. Her black thong and black push up bra were easily visible through the thing. She had a dark tan and long black hair that was so straight she must have ironed it. The other one, the one that Pam wanted me to look at, was wearing a pink top, if you can call a strip of fabric a top, which was so small it only covered her nipples. Her breasts were bulging out of the top and the bottom. She finished the outfit off with a black leather miniskirt and high heeled boots. It wasn't until I looked at her face that I understood what Pam was getting at. It was Mary.

Mary was a donor to Eric and had apparently been his favorite meal for a long time until I came around. The Mary that I'd met last night couldn't have been more different than the girl I was looking at now. Her dirty blonde hair, which she'd worn in casual waves, was now piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She had seemed demure and even pretty last night. Now she looked like common trash.

"Oh my goodness," I said. "Is that Mary?"

Pam gave a little laugh, "My, how fickle these humans are."

I watched as Mary straddled the more handsome of the vampires and rolled her hips against him suggestively. The vampire barely took notice.

"What's she doing that for?"

"Obvious, isn't it," Pam said with a hint of sarcasm. She rolled her eyes when I still looked baffled. "Sookie, are you sure you're a human woman?" Pam's laugh didn't put me at ease. "She's hoping Eric will come out and see her all over that young vampire." The grin on Pam's face was easily read. She thought the whole thing was hilarious.

"She's trying to make him jealous?" Pam nodded, still laughing lightly. "Why would she think that'd work?"

Pam shrugged. "I don't understand why humans do a lot of the things they do. They sure are entertaining though."

I couldn't help but think that Mary didn't know Eric too well. The Eric I knew didn't seem to feel jealousy. It could be argued that he'd been jealous of my relationship with Bill but he'd never shown it in the least. He never made a scene or even let on that he was the least bit bothered, which was the reaction Mary was probably hoping for. He'd just done what Eric was best at doing; he devised a way to steal me out from under Bill.

It still bothered me a bit that it had worked in Eric's favor in the end. It was sort of like being duped in a roundabout way. Eric knew Bill would never leave me so he made sure that I left him. I didn't regret leaving Bill one bit but when I thought about it that way I felt like a pawn in some strange game. It wasn't a game I liked either.

When Eric joined me at the table, almost an hour later, I had gone through three vodka and cranberries. I was certainly tipsy but still felt the wonderful feeling of ease that always accompanied Eric's arrival. Pam and I had been having a conversation about the new fashions for fall. I didn't really know what she was talking about but I enjoyed hearing about all the new things she expected to buy before the seasons changed. Apparently purple was going to be the "new black" this fall. I liked purple.

I had forgotten all about Mary and her new persona until I saw his eyes cut toward her table when he sat down. His face was still and utterly void of any emotion. Pam followed his eyes and burst into laughter. Eric gave her a severe look, which she easily ignored.

"Shocking, isn't it," Pam teased. "Your favorite seems to have gotten a makeover."

"She won't be anyone's favorite dressed like that," he said casually before throwing an arm over my shoulders.

With that, the subject of Mary was closed for the evening. Eric told me about some of the business he'd been conducting in his office. He told me that he still had a few people on Lee's trail, all trying to dig up information, but they probably wouldn't get anything new before tomorrow night. We talked about the renovations I was planning to do on my house if I ever could save up the money. He offered to pay for them at least five times and I kept turning him down in the nicest way possible. We had a long and easy conversation for the rest of the night. Still, every now and then I caught him glancing over to the table that Mary occupied.

A/N: Short chapter, I know and I apologize. I've been battling the dreaded writer's block so I apologize for the wait. As usual, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story so far. I still plan on finishing this one up once I get over the block and get my creative juices pumping again. So don't worry, I'm not giving up on Dead Serious or even putting it on the backburner. It just might take me a while to finish it.


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